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Survey study, 2026

What natural and alternative treatments do teenage women use for acne that happens before their period?

79.9% of teenage women use at least one natural treatment for premenstrual acne, most commonly natural masks, steam baths, and herbal products. They choose these because they believe they are natural and safe.

Early or limited evidence 244 female adolescents aged 18 to 19 years

What they did

Survey of 244 female students aged 18 to 19 years. Asked them which natural and alternative treatments they use for acne during the premenstrual period, why they use them, and how often and severe their acne is.

What they found

79.9% of the students used at least one natural treatment. The most common treatments were natural masks (48.2%), steam baths or face cleaning (45.1%), and herbal products or oils (41.5%). The main reason they chose these treatments was the belief that they are natural and safe (60.5%). Students with more frequent acne used these treatments more often. Those who thought their acne was more severe used these treatments less.

What it means for you

Most teenage women prefer natural treatments for premenstrual acne because they believe them to be safer. Doctors and nurses should understand what treatments young women prefer and help guide them toward safe options. However, the study does not show whether these treatments work, and all students were from one university, so results may not apply elsewhere.

244

female adolescents

79.9%

use at least one natural treatment

48.2%

use natural masks

About the study

Original title
Investigation of Complementary and Alternative Treatment Preferences for Premenstrual Period Acne Problems in Adolescents Using Structural Equation Modeling: Descriptive Cross-Sectional Research
Authors
Sinem Ceylan, Özge Aydoğan Aşır, Rabia Ceren Buyrukoğlu
Journal
Journal of Traditional Medical Complementary Therapies
Year
2026
Study design
Survey study
Participants
244
Open access
Yes

Topics